IMPLYING that "it has all gone wrong since Labour left office", Ed Jacobs ("Why has it gone wrong since Labour left office?", Post, January 28) uses the same technique as Eric Goodyer to deflect attention from Labour's legacy by criticising the current government.
It seems to have has slipped Mr Jacobs' mind that when Labour left office the annual borrowing figure was £160 billion. He now seeks to make an issue of the fact that so far this financial year it is £106.5 billion. Whilst we have to wait for another quarter to see the full figure for the 2012-2013 year it will be much lower than the £160 billion Labour left behind.
And, according to Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls, the current government is "cutting too far too fast". Logic suggests then that, had he been Chancellor, borrowing would have been higher. On the other hand, Eric Goodyer recently reminded us that, just before losing the election, Labour passed a law requiring their £160 billion deficit to be cut by half in four years. So, presumably, he would have us believe that, had they won the election, they would have reduced their £160 billion annual borrowing legacy by £80 billion by next year.
Given Ed Balls' view about the cuts in spending, it would be interesting to learn how that would have been done. Otherwise, we are entitled to conclude that the best Labour can do is to contradict themselves.
DOROTHY WILSON
Main Street
Willoughby on the Wolds
AFTER reading Tony Morris's letter ("Family life is under increasing pressure", Post, January 28), I could see exactly what he meant. Yesterday I was at the Lakeside Arts Centre watching a documentary on St Ann's 1969. Family struggled. Dad went to work! Quite a few things mirrored what's happening today. Second-hand shops thrive, pawn shops are on the up. In that respect we are going backwards. The young wife in the film said she was married 14 months before she got a television. I washed by hand for a couple of years, saved for a spin dryer, then my mam gave me her old twin tub (it was like winning the pools). Nowadays more wants more (and seem to get it).
Our kitchen had a stove, coal house, food cupboard, sink, table. My bed was cosy flannelette sheets, blankets, candlewick bedspread. We were fed, warm and loved. Club man and tick was used at most households. I can hear my mam say now: "Looks like I've got to rob Peter to pay Paul."
Mum also said "Laugh and grow fat" – ha ha. I've laughed a bit too much (or ate too much).
I think Anna Soubry is eating her words. She's said it so it will be (hard to swallow).
JEAN TAYLOR
Barlock Road
Basford
I LIVE on the former Premiere Red 8 route in the west of Hucknall and would like to say how much we all miss this service. It was our only direct bus service into the centre of Nottingham via Watnall Road, taking just 45 minutes. When the service was brought in by Premiere some time ago it was welcomed with open arms by many people in this area.
True we are not so badly affected as people in the small villages who have no alternative service. It must be awful for them.
In your paper, however, it says the Red 8 service is now covered by Trent Barton Rainbow 3 and the tram. But no way is it the same or as convenient, and it takes much longer.
First we have to catch a Trent Barton Connect bus before we can get the other two services from central Hucknall. The Connect service run two routes, one on a mainly half hourly service (Monday-Sunday) from the tram through the centre of Hucknall around the west area of Hucknall then returning to the tram stop via Broomhill Road and Portland Road. The second Connect route runs the opposite way with modifications to the route on a mainly 15-minute service. This route however stops after 18.40 Monday to Saturday with no service at all on a Sunday.
Unfortunately this adds quite some time to each journey, not to mention time waiting for connections and the failure of the Connect service which constantly seems to have problems with breakdowns. People often have to wait far longer than 15 minutes for a connection.
JUDITH WILKINSON
By e-mail
I AM writing in response to your feature regarding Allen Tipton ("A magical tribute show", Post, February 1).
I was a pupil of Allen Tipton's in 1957 at Glaisdale School and a member of the cast of The Lost Tribe. It was our first year there and Allen's first placement after leaving college. We were 11 and Allen was 24 but in our young eyes he seemed ancient!
How lucky we were to encounter such a teacher. Allen's usual attire was a baggy black sweater and tights, sometimes accompanied by ballet pumps, so different from the rest of the teachers who were tied and suited and very strict! We were a large unruly class but Allen cast each one of us in his play The Lost Tribe. We won awards for this play. He gave us confidence and pride and he treated us with kindness and respect.
We were happily reunited in 2002 with Allen and old pupils of 1B, Glaisdale School. We had grown up, married, had kids and grandkids but our dear Mr Tipton, even after 40 years, barely looked a day older! A group of us continued to meet for lunch, Allen always being our guest of honour and deservedly so.
He left his mark on so many and will be sadly missed.
JILL BOWLES and the "Lost tribe"
BILLY Davies – NO! All you people calling for him to come back are sadly misguided.
Remember when he first took over, we had one of the best reserve teams in the country with only three defeats in two seasons, lots of young promising players just waiting for a crack at the first team, all expertly coached by John Pemberton. So what did Billy do? He immediately sacked him, thus destroying the foundations of future success. Billy is only interested in spending money on ready-made players and took no interest in the reserves at all. The same thing will happen again and poor old John Pemberton (one of the best coaches in the country) would be out the door once again.
MICHAEL PEMBERTON
By e-mail
DURING this current negative publicity about the NHS, I would like to comment on a very positive experience I had recently.
On January 18, during the bad weather, I had a fall in the garden resulting in my suffering a broken hip.
I cannot praise the professionals highly enough.
The ambulance arrived five minutes after the telephone receiver had been replaced from calling 999. I was treated very kindly by the attending paramedics, and transferred via ambulance to the A&E department at the QMC, where the kindness and consideration continued.
I was then admitted on to Ward C4 for a hip replacement operation.
I can only describe my experience as absolutely first class. The care I received from ALL the staff was second to none, nothing was too much trouble and the food was very nice.
MAUREEN DANIELS
Wensley Road
Woodthorpe
YOUR readers may be interested to know that all the windy weather recently has not gone to waste.
Output from wind turbines to the UK grid peaked at just over 5GW on February 2. That was 12 per cent of UK electricity demand – enough to power ten million homes.
Over the last week in January, wind was providing two thirds of Scotland's electricity.
Nottingham can't expect to do as well as Scotland. But we should be welcoming a few more turbines in the area.
NIGEL LEE
Nottingham Friends of the Earth
Ash View